WINNETKA REAL ESTATE REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2018 17 homes closed in September 2018 in Winnetka compared to 33 in August. That is not unusual because buyers had scheduled closes before school begins. The median sale price of homes went up from $1,335,000 to $1,450,000. SOLD HOMES  - SEPTEMBER 2018 - WINNETKA CURRENT SNAPSHOT OF WINNETKA REAL ESTATE Homes for sale: 125Price range: $509,000 - $9,999,000Under contract: 39Single family home absorption rate: 6 months (down from 7 months)Condos for sale: 9Price range: $275,000 - $869,000SEE ALL WINNETKA HOMES FOR SALETo CONTACT Margaret Goss, please call 847-977-6024 or email:  margaret.goss@bairdwarner.comMargaret Goss is a full-time real estate agent since 1998 servicing the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Nor... 10/05/2018

 Hubbard Woods had 6 homes close in September 2018.  CLOSED HUBBARD WOODS HOMES IN SEPTEMBER 2018  1173 AsburyList price: $875,000Sold price: $785,000Days on market: 35       906 Gordon Terr.List price: $945,000Sold price:  $930,000Days on market: 6       949 Fisher (this house was in the news because the buyers are not tearing it down)List price: $1,950,000Sold price: $1,450,000Days on market: 465      657 Hibbard (Tony Grunsfeld contemporary)List price: $1,695,000Sold price: $1,560,000Days on market: 35       645 Hibbard (1.9 acre property)List price: $2,599,000Sold price: $2,300,000Days on market: 380       15 Old Green BayList price: $2,895,000Sold price: $2,300,000Days on market: 332      NEW HUBBARD WOODS HOMES FOR SALE IN SEPTEMBER 2018  1483 Edgewood - $575,000            1069 C... 10/02/2018

Bluestone Floor Cleaning & Sealing Winnetka, ILBluestone or indoor or outdoor natural stone flooring option. Bluestone is a soft, porse colorful stone which has hyoe sensitive qualities.  This project was a new construction project which required us to clean the bluestone floor tiles from the construction debris, grout haze and pencil marks.  We cleaned the floor by hand using a brushed hone method.  After honing the floor tiles we then applied a color enhancing sealer to brighten the look and feel of the tiles.   People also ask How much does Bluestone cost per square foot?   Are bluestone pavers expensive?   How much does Bluestone cost per foot?   Is Bluestone durable? 09/26/2018

 UPDATED 2019 Homes in the Sweet Spot of $1 Million are Plentiful in Winnetka and the North ShoreThe median list price of homes currently for sale in Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, and Northfield is $1,100,000. So that seems like a good place to consider what’s on the market between $800,000 and $1,100,000Your money will go farther in Wilmette, Northfield and Glenview than it will in the other villages. That is partly because those towns are larger and have a more varied housing stock. Wilmette is also the closest village to downtown Chicago. And since Glenview is just west of the North Shore, you will find the best home values there. And they get better the farther west you go. Currently, there are 92 homes for sale in this price range breaking down like this: Homes for sale ... 09/24/2018

 Hubbard Woods had 11 closed home sales in August.  CLOSED HUBBARD WOODS HOMES IN AUGUST 2018 1548 TowerOriginal list price:  $1,600,000Sold price: $857,515Days on market: 717      1311 AsburyOriginal list price: $949,000Sold price: $870,000Days on market: 31       1509 ScottOriginal list price: $1,174,900Sold price: $1,025,000Days on market: 147       1496 Edgewood Original list price:  $1,049,000Sold price: $540,225 (sold as a foreclosure)Days on market: listed since July 2013)       1361 ScottOriginal list price:  $1,199,000Sold price:  $1,075,000Days on market: 52       246 ScottOriginal list price: $1,250,000 (in 2017, then off the market for a year)Reduced price:  $1,095,000Sold price:  $1,095,560Days on market: 133 (130 in 2017 and 3 days in 2018)    1367 ScottOriginal list price... 09/10/2018

Home Prices in Winnetka IL for August 2018 Winnetka has seen eight months (from January 1, 2018) of up-and-down prices for sold homes. Each month has been different - sometimes vastly - particularly when using the average vs. the median price. Winnetka and other North Shore villages have a varied housing stock and big swings in list prices from well below $1 million to over $10 million. If you are considering buying a home, having a good real estate agent who understands the market is a must. If you will be making an offer, be sure to have your agent prepare a thorough market analysis of the Winnetka market. If you would like to see current inventory of for sale homes in Winnetka, click the link.Currently, the Winnetka real estate market has a median time of 144 days before homes sell. ... 09/04/2018

Hubbard Woods, Winnetka Social Club in 1912Updated in 2022A friend of mine found an unusual and charming website from the Wilmette Public Library's Local History Collection regarding Hubbard Woods. During the years 1912-1923, a local paper called the Lake Shore News published "brief notices of social activities in Hubbard Woods, Illinois." These little tidbits of "social" doings are so interesting to read!  A sampling from September 12, 1912:    I am most surprised that the reporter had been able to collect so many detailed minutiae about people's daily activities. Did Hubbard Woods residents communicate through the telephone operator who handled all the calls in those days? Did people listen in on conversations? Some things are still the same - people have homes in Michigan that they e... 08/29/2018

UPDATED 2019 This is a question that I am often asked. I’ve done many market reports on various segments of our North Shore market and the numbers have always remained below the high year of 2008. 2012 was the low water mark for North Shore home prices and since then prices have been fairly stable with a slight uptick in 2015-2018.  Mortgage rates are not rising as quickly as originally predicted. The Freddie Mac Mortgage Survey reports that the 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 4.51%, down from 4.53% the previous week. The 15-year fixed is 3.98%, down from 4.01% the previous week. So there’s reason to think that the market will continue to bobble along, neither rising or falling for the foreseeable future.  These charts clearly show exactly how the North Shore housing market has performed... 08/28/2018

 Time is short but it's not too late to file a property tax appeal - the deadline is this Thursday, August 30.  The good news is that you have two weeks after you file to submit supporting documentation. For the villages of Winnetka, Northfield, Kenilworth, Wilmette, and Glencoe, the New Trier Township office will help you file your appeal. They are extremely helpful and will even send you comps for your home. Cook County reassesses your property taxes every three years. They do 1/3 of the county one year, 1/3 the 2nd year, and 1/3 the 3rd year. Last time the North Shore was reassessed was 2016 which means that next year will be our reassessment year (2019.) But that doesn't mean you have to wait until a reassessment year - you can file every year, twice a year. Twice a year because you... 08/21/2018

 Tony Grunsfeld Modernist Ranch in Northfield, ILI recently listed this stunning Tony Grunsfeld ranch home in Winnetka on a beautiful acre of green expanse. The home went under contract quickly and the lucky buyers plan to renovate and update the home. See photos of the transformed home at Tony Grunsfeld Northfield ILBuilt in 1971 and sold by the heirs of the original owners, the home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Upon entering the foyer, you become immersed in the voluminous living room that opens to the opposite side of the house. With floor-to-ceiling windows or sliders throughout, nature is truly part of the design here. The gorgeous floors are marble in the main rooms of the home and they were kept in perfect condition. The home also has a library, den, dining room, kitchen... 08/06/2018

In July 2018 , there were 25 home sales in Winnetka.  The current real estate market in Winnetka: Homes for sale: 151 Priced:  $435,000 to $9,999,999 Homes under contract/pending: 49 Absorption rate:  7.6 months Condos for sale: 7 Priced: $275,000 to $869,000 Median price for the past 12 months SEE ALL HOMES FOR SALE IN WINNETKA To contact Margaret Goss, please call 847-977-6024 or email margaret.goss@bairdwarner.com Margaret Goss is a full-time real estate broker practicing since 1998 in the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield, Glenview, and Evanston. See full bio for Margaret Goss 08/05/2018

Five new listings in Hubbard Woods in July! 1173 Asbury $875,000 Charming house - great price        1427 Edgewood $959,000 Also a very nice updated home      924 Pine Tree Lane $995,000     653 Blackthorn $1,499,000 English cottage-y home - cute but not for everyone    1127 Laurel $1,899,000 Built in 2015     Three homes closed in July - all on the same street?? 1311 Forest Glen Charming 3-bedroom + 3 1/2 bath List price: $1,195,000 Sold price: $982,500 Market time:  66 days  920 Forest Glen List price:  $1,199,000 Sold price:  $1,130,000 Days on market:  28   1305 Forest Glen List price:  $1,848,000 Sold price:  $1,670,000 Days on market:  129   CURRENT REAL ESTATE STATS FOR HUBBARD WOODS Homes for sale:  50 Price range:  $600,000 to $4,650,000 Under contract:  15 Condos for sale:  4 ... 08/03/2018

 I've prepared a 6-month real estate sales report comparing 2017 to 2018 but also throwing 2007 into the mix. Mostly the North Shore real estate market has not recovered to its pre-recession highs but there are some other interesting numbers too. Click below for your village: WINNETKA WILMETTE KENILWORTH GLENCOE NORTHFIELD GLENVIEW To CONTACT Margaret Goss, please call 847-977-6024 or email:  margaret.goss@bairdwarner.com Margaret Goss is a full-time real estate agent since 1998 servicing the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield, Glenview, and Evanston.  See full BIO for Margaret Goss. 07/10/2018

 Wild Winnetka - Animals That Is! UPDATED 2022I was recently driving east along Winnetka Ave in Northfield near Happ Road and saw such a cute sight. A family of swans: parents and 8 signets walking along the parkway. I stopped to film them and realized they were going to attempt to cross the street - fairly busy at that point. I hopped out to play crossing guard and soon enough so did several other people. Our best efforts only managed to make the swans hiss at us ( I didn't know they did that!)  Eventually, they were shooed back to the sidewalk and waddled off to safety. The encounter made me think about all the wonderful wildlife we have in Winnetka and the North Shore. While some people grumble about raccoons or coyotes, I love that we live so close to each other and have, for the mo... 07/09/2018

Instead of preparing just a 6-month real estate report on the first half of 2017 vs. 2018, I decided to throw in statistics from  2007 into the mix. I'm often asked if Winnetka has returned to its pre-recession home prices. My answer is always "No" but there are some interesting take-aways from these numbers. WINNETKA REAL ESTATE  HALF-YEAR REPORT  The most startling number here is the huge jump in average sale price of a Winnetka home from 2017 to 2018, from $$1,307,000 to $1,690,000. This can easily be explained - Winnetka has had four high-priced sales since January 1, 2018: $8,875,000, $10,000,000, $12,000,000, and $12,000,000. Since I'm using an average here (as opposed to a median) the numbers are skewed higher for 2018. Looking at this another way, the median Winnetka home sale p... 07/05/2018

 HUBBARD WOODS WINNETKA REAL ESTATE UPDATE JUNE 2018 There were 4 new listing in June as the spring market winds down (there were 16 in May.) 801 Locust - $1,065,000 4 bedrooms + 3 1/2 baths      850 Locust - $1,125,000 4 bedrooms + 4 1/2 baths     110 Glenwood - $1,645,000 5 bedrooms + 4 full baths and 3 half-baths    6 Kent - $3,650,000 5 bedrooms + 5 full baths and 2 half-baths HUBBARD WOODS CLOSED HOME SALES JUNE Many closed sales in June - total of 16! 800 Green Bay Road Original list price:  $499,000 Sold price:  $465,000 Days on market:  283     1347 Edgewood Original list price:  $765,000 Sold price:  730,000 Sold before listing       1206 Tower Original list price:  $1,325,000 Sold price:  $815,000 Days on market:  618     975 Vernon Original list price:  $925,000 Sold price:  ... 07/03/2018

UPDATED 2019 Yes - we have to move sometimes too! And I won't be telling tell my clients things like this that I used to say: "Stiff upper lip" "C'mon you can do it" "Just declutter" "You're moving anyway, put the stuff in boxes" "Scrub every inch of the house" without also telling them "you have to keep it that way the whole time it's on the market." "Can y'all clear out in 10 minutes?" I've moved several times before but the pressure this time is uniquely different than the last time in 2004. For starters, preparing the home for sale, including painting, decluttering, repairing, and staging, are exhausting. Buyers are much more exacting and particular. Today's Winnetka home buyers are looking for updated homes in pristine condition - move-in ready!  There is no room for over-pricing i... 07/02/2018

 Fireworks and events schedule for the North Shore This year the Fourth of July falls on a Wednesday so we don't technically have a long weekend. But I think we'll see lots of people taking time of next week - we've waited a long time for summer!  Here is a roundup of local fireworks and events for the North Shore communities of Winnetka, Wilmette, Glencoe, and Glenview. Kenilworth and Northfield will not have their own fireworks but can participate in activities in any other village. See map below for locations. Winnetka Winnetka's celebration always kicks off with a parade on Elm St, starting at Hibbard Road and ending up at the Village Green Park. The parade starts at 10 am and visitors can line up along the entire route. Fun events for children start at 11 am at the Village Green Pa... 06/29/2018

It's almost here - this Friday evening and all day Saturday, June 15-16, the 2nd Winnetka Musical Festival. If you missed it last year here's your chance and you won't want to miss it again. It's bigger, it's better, it's amazing, and it's free! Music starts on Friday night at 5:45 at the BMO Harris Stage. Saturday morning, family programs start at 9:00 AM and festival music starts at 11:45 AM with the last artist going on stage at 9:30 PM. I counted thirty bands that will be appearing across the 3 main stages spread around the walkable downtown Winnetka shopping district. The Chicago Cubs stages will be located behind the Winnetka Community House on Pine St. east of Green Bay.  The Fields Auto stage will be on Elm St. by Dwyer Park, and the BMO Harris stage will be near Lincoln and Elm... 06/14/2018

UPDATED 2019 2018 has been a good year for luxury home sales in the North Shore. In January, two homes sold for $12,000,000 each, both located on Sheridan Road in Winnetka, and a third on the same street sold for $10,000,000. Now I'm from California and I keep a watch on the West Coast prices - they've been exorbitant for years. But when I can scroll through Realtor.com and find 10 waterfront homes for sale in Malibu for less than $12,000,000, I have to think, well, I'm moving to Malibu (ha ha) . I'm not belittling anyone's decision to buy a high-end home in Winnetka - in fact it pleases me immensely as a real estate agent it's more proof that Winnetka and other North Shore villages are a good investment in the future. But for comparison's sake, let's take a look: SOLD IN WINNETKA in 20... 06/12/2018